Happy Birthday, Sev
by PropertyoftheHBP
Summary: A one-shot dedicated to Severus Snape for his birthday. Features a Young Snape & Lily. Please R&R.


_**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything that you recognize. _

_**A/N: **__This is for Severus Snape, who lives on in our hearts and in our imaginations. Happy birthday, Sev. _

* * *

Severus Snape had never been the type of person in which you could _observe_ happiness; he preferred to keep it to himself, whenever that rare feeling should appear. Even when he was a boy, he held his happiness privately, reveling in the feeling until it was extinguished by one thing or another, as it always was. But on January the 9th, he awoke unusually happy (and not because it was his birthday, in fact, that trifling fact he was happy to ignore) and he felt that nothing could extinguish this feeling. Not today, anyway.

Severus rummaged through his limited selection of clothing, and attempted to assemble together an outfit that didn't look _too_ odd. He then hurriedly ate the eggs and toast his mother had made for him and allowed her to kiss him on the forehead and clasp him in a brief hug as she wished him a happy birthday, and apologized for not being able to afford a gift. He assured her that it didn't matter before he disappeared out of the front door and into the bright daylight. He had escaped the house without even having to see his father! His happiness escalated as he struggled not to break into a run. There was no rush. There was all the time in the world.

Nevertheless, Severus sped down the dingy street without a second glace at any of the squalid, broken-windowed houses. He even managed to ignore the stare of Greg Garbes, who was tossing a stick to his mangy dog. "What's your rush, Snape? Anyone'd think you'd actually have somewhere import'nt to be!" The boy shouted. _Oh, but I do, Gregory Garbes. _Severus thought as he passed the boy, whose smug smile vanished when he realized that Severus was not going entertain him with a reply.

Severus was vibrant with energy and excitement. Patches of colour were high in his normally-pale cheeks, and his eyes were vivid. Absently brushing away the black strands of hair that had snaked across his face, he realized that he was panting slightly, and he slowed down. He didn't want it to look as though he had been in a hurry, after all. As he turned off of Spinner's End, he checked that his laces were tied and made sure that his hair hadn't arranged itself at any odd angles.

The reason for Severus Snape's unusually good mood was that he would be spending the day with Lily Evans, his _friend_, he was proud to say. Maybe even his _best_ friend. Severus Snape did not have many friends, in fact, she was his only one, yet he wouldn't have traded her for _ten_ other friends. Not just because she could do magic, like him, but also because she was funny and lively and kind and such fun to be around. There were so many reasons he liked Lily Evans, yet he couldn't really think why _she_ liked _him._

Soon, Severus could see the shimmering surface of the sunlit river. His eyes grazed over the cluster of trees that lined the river, until he spotted her. Lily Evans sat in a pool of sunlight, leaning against a thick-trunked tree. Her red hair gleamed golden-orange in the sun, and her bare feet tapped against the earth, as though to a rhythm only she could hear. Everything, from the sparkling river to the girl in front of it, looking as though it belonged in a painting.

His heart beat fast as he made his way over to her. She looked up upon hearing the cracking twigs underneath his feet. She gave him a great big smile and sprang to her feet. "It's about time!" she said, poking him lightly in the ribs.

"What? I came almost as soon I got up!" Severus said, puzzled.

Lily laughed, springing back down to the ground and patting the earth beside her.

"I was only joking!" she said as he sat down.

"Isn't it lovely here?" She said, and Severus nodded. It was, especially with her beside him. "I brought some bread along to feed the ducks," she told him as she rustled around in the plastic bag that sat beside her.

"There are lots today of them today," Severus noted as he watched the ducks glide along the water's surface.

They walked over to the shore-line, and Lily tore half the loaf and handed it to Severus. They broke off bits and threw it into the water, watching the ducks magnetize towards the bread. There was soon a cluster of ducks, ruffling their wings and dipping their beaks into the water, trying to snatch up a bit of soggy bread. Severus watched a particularly plump duck as it attempted to steal a bit of bread that another duck had already claimed.

"What a greedy duck!" Lily said, and threw another bit of bread to the duck that had missed out.

Once the loaf was gone, Lily suggested they go back to the shade before their noses turned pink. They sat there for most of the day, eating the sandwiches that Lily had brought with her and discussing the magical world that they would both soon be apart of. Severus felt important as he told Lily more about Hogwarts, and the ghosts that lived there, and the different houses...Lily's dark green eyes, already stunningly bright, were alight with curiosity as Severus spoke.

"I can't wait to go, Sev...I just wish my sister was a witch too," Lily said, looking wistfully out at the river. Severus didn't like Lily's sister, Petunia, and was glad she wasn't going to Hogwarts...but he hated that it made Lily feel bad.

"You'll still see her in the holidays...and you can tell her all about it. I'm sure she'd be excited to hear about everything," He said.

Lily sighed. "I'm not so sure...what if it makes it worse? I don't want to upset her by telling her how great it is at the place _she'll _never be able to see,"

"Well it's not _your_ fault that she isn't a witch. If she's any sort of sister, she'll come round. She won't be upset forever, right?" Severus said, nudging Lily's foot with his own.

Lily smiled. "You're right Sev; Tuney will get used to it, and we'll be best friends again soon."

Severus frowned. _I thought we were best friends, _he thought, but he didn't say anything.

"But I don't think she and I can ever be best friends like you and me, because we'll be seeing each other all the time. She won't ever fully understand me, and magic and everything - not like you. You do know you're my best friend, Sev?"

That feeling of happiness rose again in Severus' chest and he couldn't help but smile.

"You're mine too, Lil."

Lily looked up at him, and then hesitated. "What is it?" he asked.

"Even...even if we're put into different houses, we'll still be best friends, won't we?"

She said, biting her lip.

"Of course," Severus said, though the idea of being separated made him feel worried.

"Oh good," she said, smiling again. They sat quietly, pondering their own thoughts as they gazed out at the twinkling water. Severus felt a sort of peace that he only ever felt when he was with Lily.

"Close your eyes," Lily said suddenly. Her emerald eyes held a mischievous glint.

"Why?" Severus asked warily.

"Just do it, and no peeping!" She said. He did so, frowning. _What was she up to?_

Severus heard rustling...she was getting something out of her bag. A shadow crossed over his eyes. "Can I open now?"

"One sec...Okay, now!"

Severus opened his eyes to see Lily sitting cross-legged in front of him. Before his eyes had time to take in anything else, she quickly leant forward and wrapped her arms around him - she was hugging him! He was too surprised to hug her back. He still felt her warmth after she pulled away.

"Happy birthday, Sev!" she said, beaming.

"Oh...ah, thanks...how did you - ?"

He didn't notice the object that was resting on her lap before she held it up before his eyes.

"Sorry it's not much...and I wish I could've wrapped it - or something..." she said, pink tingeing her cheeks.

"It's...I love it!"

"Really?" she said excitedly.

"Yes! Thanks, Lil..."

It was a photo in a basic wooden frame. The photo was angled a little crookedly, and a blur of green occupied the left-hand corner of the picture. It was taken at the playground where they had first met, and showed a skinny boy with black hair, sitting on a swing beside a girl with red-hair. Neither was swinging, however. They were both facing each other, and they looked to be in deep conversation.

"Tuney took this photo," Lily said.

Severus looked up. "Why...?"

"Because she was trying to catch me doing magic, so she could take it home and show Mum and Dad. She wanted me to get into trouble, so that I couldn't see you anymore,"

Severus' face twisted in anger, and his mouth opened, but before he could say anything, Lily continued. "I was angry too, Sev. But then she gave me this photo and she said sorry for spying. She said 'I thought you might like a photo of you and that Snape boy, seeing as you like him so much,' and I said to her, 'yes, Tuney, I do like him, very much.' Then she apologized."

"But she still doesn't like you," Lily added as an afterthought. They both laughed.

Severus couldn't care less what Petunia Evans thought of him; all he cared about was that Lily had said she liked him very much.

"Thanks, Lil. I really like this photo, even if you're sister took it when she was spying." Severus spoke as he looked at the Lily in the photo, and was pleased to see that the camera had captured her sparkling green eyes, which were watching him with rapt attention. His mouth was open mid-sentence, and a particularly observant person might be able to look at the photo and tell that he was happy.

"I'm glad you do, Sev." Lily said. Severus lowered the photo and looked at the Lily who was in front of him. She smiled, and he knew he was the luckiest boy in the world. He didn't ever want to look away.

"This is the best birthday ever, Lil,"

And it _was_ his best birthday ever. Severus Snape never had a better one.


End file.
